Meta, Mark Zuckerberg could pay up to $1.4T USD in damages in landmark lawsuit
Opening arguments began Tuesday in a California courtroom for a landmark trial against social media giant Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram.
Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are seeking a financial penalty that could, in theory, total as much as US$1.4 trillion, plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram.
In total, 29 states are suing Meta, alleging its platforms were designed to harm children, fueling anxiety and depression.
Megan O’Neill, a deputy attorney general for the California Department of Justice, laid out the states’ case for jurors during opening statements in federal court in Oakland, California. “‘The young ones are the best ones’ is a title of a Meta study we are going to show you,” she said, telling jurors that for Meta, “kids are the product.”
As Touria Izri reports, the case could reshape some of the world's most popular apps.
Video Summary
AI GeneratedU.S. prosecutors and 29 states are suing Meta, alleging the company intentionally designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children to maximize profit. The lawsuit claims Meta fueled a youth mental health crisis by harvesting data and hiding risks, drawing parallels to the historic legal battles against the tobacco industry.